NOTE:Hugh Flett's grandparents were George Flett &
Margaret Loutitt. Two sons John and George were tenants in Eyn
Hallow and Hugh would be son of one of these men. Records lost for that
generation. Eyn Hallow is a small island between the Mainland and Rousay.
The men had to row to the mainland for peat for their fires. Today, there
are no inhabitants. The name is Norse for Holy Isle and parts of an early
monastery remain. St. Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall, has a Flett coat of arms
in a stained glass window. "Flett" is the second most common name in
the Orkneys; mentioned first in Norse sagas. It probably has its origins
in the village of Flett, Parish of Delting, Shetland Islands.

NOTE:
Magnus Flett and his brother-in-law, John Brown, left
for Canada right after their chruch weddings with Malcom Folsetter.
[According to Warner & Beers' History of Brant Co., Folsetter arrived
in Beverly Twp. in 1836.] Both Magnus and Malcom first farmed in the Township
of Beverly, Upper Canada. About 1844, Magnus bought Con. 5, Lot 37, South
Dumfries Twp., Brant Co., Ont. where he lived until his death. He was made
an elder of the "Free Chruch of Scotland Assembly", (Knox Presyb.) Ayr,
1848 (position held for over 40 years) and took an active hand in forming
that church.

The 1851 census identified Magnus 42, Mrs. Magdalene 32,
Magdalene
5, James4 and John
2, living in a log house. Magdalene's death left a young family. Her husband
wasted no time in marrying Ann Scoot. No record can be found of Ann, with
the Scotts in Dumfries Twp., 1851. Perhaps, she even sailed to Upper Canada
with the Russells om 1854, the same year as her marriage. By 1861,
the Fletts were in a 1 1/2 story brick house; Magnus 51, Ann 37,
Magdalene 15, James labourer 13, John 11, David 9, Ann 6,
Margaret
4, William 2. Ann, who consistently underplayed her age in
each census, would be pregnant with Mary. All ten children were living
at home, in 1871, ranging form twenty-four years to four. Ann would be
forty-five years old when her youngest child was born; her husband fifty-seven.
Daughters Ann, Margaret, Mary, Janet and Jane were still living with their
parents in 1881. Margaret would marry a month after the census taking.
In 1891, Ann Flett, widow, 69, living in a brick house, Ayr, was listed
on the North Dumfries, Waterloo Co., census. Janet and Jane lived with
their mother in Ayr, prior to being married.
Children of Magnus Flett
& Magdalene BrownJAMES WINCHESTER FLETT, s/o Magnus
Flett & Magdalene Brown
b 01 June 1848 South Dumfries Twp., Brant Co.
d 14 Apr 1889 London, Ont. 40 years 10
months
bu Ayr, Ont.
m 23 Feb 1881 West Zorra, Oxford Co., Ont.
ISABELLA (BELLE) BOWIE, d/o Innes A. Bowie & Christian Lochtie

The lure of free land for homesteading in the wilderness took Jack
Flettwest to the Strathclair area of Manitoba, 1878, with his
sister
Magdalene and husband, Jim Campbell. In 1879, he secured homestead
rights to NE 1/4 23-16-22 and in 1898, bought SE 1/4 23-16-22, totalling
640 acres, a four roomed house and two barns. He and the Campbells built
similar stone houses and barns. The 1891 Census includes John 42,
farmer, Mary, 38, b. Scotland,
John
Gavin 4 b. MB, Ethel Gray 12, b. Ont. This family was listed on the
1901 census as John 51, Mary 48, John G 17, b. MB. Living with them was
niece, Luella Flett, 20 b. Ont.

Marjorie, a telephone operator, came from Madoc, Ontario, as a young
girl to live with her Aunt Min (Mary) and her husband James Campbell. Gavin
played in the first Strathclair Band, 1910. His uncle, John R. Folsetter
and cousin Ethel visited the Fletts in 1915. Gavin entertained John by
attending Grit political rallies. Total Prohibition and Women's Suffrage
were the hot items of the period. an entry in John's diary, Wednesday,
11 August, refers to Gavin's future wife, "... Ethel and Margery Brown
went for a horseback ride and when they came back Margery and Jim Campbell
went for a horse race."
Gavin and Marjorie lived on his father's homestead, until 1929, when
they moved to Winnipeg. Many young people from Strathclair boarded with
them while attending university or college. Eleanor Reesor writing in 1993,
recalls, "As a child I remember Christmas dinner at their home in Winnipeg.
Marjorie was a magnificent cook and made heavenly fudge."

This section is the result of Campbell
research done by Neal Campbell, s/o Andrew Campbell, s/o Ephraim Campbell,
s/o William & Jane Campbell

JOHN CAMPBELLChristened March 24,1779, Thurso, Caithness,
ScotlandJohn Campbell married Margaret SutherlandMarch 18,1811, Campsie, Stirling, ScotlandJohn and Margaret Campbell came to Canada in
1824 on the Christina.He worked as a tenant farmer in South Dumfries, Ontario
on land was owned by a Robert Dickson.

The 1842 Dumfries census shows John Campbell living there with his wife
Margaret and 4 children.Two of the children were born in Scotland:
James and William.One of the sons born in Canada was possibly George.

WILLIAM CAMPBELL, s/o John CampbellBorn in ScotlandDied on Christmas Day, 1870

In 1851, William Campbell, teacher, 31, b. Canada West, F.C.
Presbyterian, wife Jane 26, b. Scotland, James 6, William 3, and
George Campbell 19 teacher b. Canada West, Methodist were residing in a
log house, in Blenheim Twp., Oxford Co.
By 1861, a frame house had been built and this family had inceased
to include four more children; William was farming.

[1861 Census Blenheim Twp., Oxford Co., Ont.]
William Campbell, farmer, 39, Jane 34, James
14, William 12, Andrew 8, Jennet 6, Ephraim
4, Sarah 2. (Female death in the year). Their land would appear
to be rented as it is not recorded on the 1857 Tremaine map of Blenheim.
Campbells appear on the census between J. Rogers & Isaac Innis. Hence
it would seem that William and George Campbell probably taught in the early
Townline School. Mary Black, “The Townline School Closes – served
Area 160 Years.” “In 1860, forty children were enroled; teacher’s salary
$200.”
[1901 Manitoba Census, District 7 Marquette, Shoal Lake and Strathclair,
Ephraim Campbell, s/o William, listed his father’s birthplace as Quebec;
brother Jim Campbell, listed his father’s birth-place as Ont.; his mother’s
as Scotland.]

The 1871 Cenus of South Dumries shows Magdalene
Flett 24 still living at home with her family; James
Campbell 22 of Scotch origin, born in Ontario, was working for James
Kingsburgh (James 76, wife Jane 60, son James 34) on the neighbouring farm.

Jim and Magdalene Campbell travelled by train to Winnipeg 1878;
then transferred their settler’s effects and three children (Will
5, Maggie 3, Jack, a babe in arms) to horse and wagon, for
the long trek to their homestead, W1/2 24-16-22. According to family legend,
Ontario neighbours told Magdalene, “You’re taking that poor little thing
out there to die.” [Probably Mrs. Kingsburgh]

Their first rapidly constructed home was of sod, with a dirt floor.
Later a stone house and barn were built, with stones gathered from the
fields.

On the 1901 Census for Strathclair, District 9 Marquette, Man. James
54 was living with son, John, 23. He employed his brother-in-law, John
Alexander 46 (9 mo-$300) and nephews William 20 (10 mo-$300) and Bertie
Alexander 19 (12 mo-$350). They all appeared to be living in the same household.

Jim’s second marriage was to Molly Brown, aunt of Marjorie Brown Flett.
After son John and bride, Katie, returned from their honeymoon, Jim and
Molly bought a large brick housse in town for $3000.
[Letter from Bill Hillman to Margaret Stockton, Dec. 1993.]

Children of James Campbell &
Magdalene Flett: William, Margaret,
John"WILLIAM" ALEXANDER CAMPBELL,
s/o James Campbell & Magdalene Flett
b 01 May 1873 S. Dumfries Twp. Brant Co., or Blenheim Twp.,
Oxford Co., Ont.
d 25 Mar 1943 Steventon, BC 69 years
bu
m 1905 Strathclair, MB
ISABELLA (BELLE) MORRISON, d/o
b 04 Aug 1885 Seaforth, ON
d 22 Jan 1949 Steventon, BC
bu
Will moved to farm a mile west of the home place, SW 22-16-22 near
Salt Lake, SK; married his housekeeper.
On Tuesday, July 27, 1915, he and John Folsetter "hitched up the buggy
and ... went for a drive over his farm of 640 acres. He has 85 acres of
the heaviest wheat that I have seen ...." He is "building a new house.
It is a two story cottage of cement blocks with furnace and bath up to
the modern ideas." Bill Hillman writes that this was three stories with
a pool table and organ on the third floor; cement block basement, screened
in porch, hardwood floors, two fireplaces, beautiful grounds with tennis
court.
Will eventually sold his farm in 1930 to start an IHC Implement Dealership,
in Strathclair. Aunt Belle didn't want the boys to farm. They lived upstairs
above the garage, until it burned August 19, 1940. Will, then, retired
and the Campbell family moved to BC.
CHILDRENi. Magdalene b 1906 d 1906 in infancy
ii. "Rose" Ann b 29 July 1907 d July 1958 m
Cameron McKay
iii. "Vera" May b 09 aug 1908 d Oct 1987 m Henry
James Blackburn
iv James Magnus b 01 Feb 1910 d 13 July 1971
m Henrietta "Winnifred" Booker
v William "Gordon" b 17 Nov 1912 d Sept 1985
m 1 Kay Miller m 2 Gladys Shaw
vi "Harold" R b 19 May 1918 d
m "Eileen Clara Halliday
Children of William
A. Campbell & Isabella Morrison:Magdalene, Rose,
Vera,
James
(Bud),
Gordon,
Harold

"HARRY" JAMES BLACKBURN, s/o
b
Strathclair, MB
"VERA" MAY CAMPBELL, d/o William A. Campbell
& Isabella Morrison
b 09 Aug 1908 Strathclair, MB
d Oct 1987 Ladysmith, BC
bu
Vera attended Brandon Normal School to train as a teacher. She and
her husband moved to Steventon, BC, in 1938, where they operated a store.
After the war, they moved to Creston, BC, where Vera worked for the Dept
of Health, until her retirement. At that time, they relocated at Ladysmith,
BC, where Harry resides in 1993. Harry and Vera had no family.
JAMES MAGNUS (BUD) CAMPBELL
s/o William A. Campbell & Isabella Morrison
b 01 Feb 1910 Strathclair, MB
d 13 July 1971 Cranbrook, BC
bu
m 28 May 1936
HENRIETTA "WINNIFRED" BOOKER, d/o
b
Brandon, MB

Bud Campbell attended Brandon College for a year; then transferred to
the University of Manitoba graduating with a degree in Civil Engineering.
Much of his life was spent around the mining industry -- Red Lake, ON,
Norviatal, PQ, Iron Ore, Labrador and Britannia, Estella, BC. In his last
years, he had a Land Survey Practice in Cranbrook, BC.
CHILDREN1 Elizabeth Anne b 13 July 1938
d
m Karol Saplywy
ii Sara Louise 08 July 1946
d
m David D'Leon Weitzel

Gordon apprenticed as an automotive motor mechanic under his uncle,
Roy Morrison, North Battleford, SK. He continued working for Uncle Roy
until joining the RCAF, as maintenance, early in the war. He was posted
to Northern England where he served until 1945. Upon returning home, he
and Kay settled in Prince George, BC.
CHILDRENi Louise Diane b1940
d
m Brian Leonard Shelby, 10 July 1965 (Louise is a teacher)

Harold first moved to British Columbia in 1936; worked at Rivers McDonald
Mine, Salmo, for a year. Moved to the Norvital mine, Quebec, for two years.
By 1938, he was back living witht he Blackburns in Steventon, BC. He joined
the RCN in March 1942; spent five months after the armistice sweeping mines
in the English Channel. He then worked in the construction trade until
his retirement. He now resides in Duncan, BC, 1993.
CHILDREN
i Sheila "Claire" b 03 Aug 1946
m "Eugene" Gus Wessan 12 Aug 1872

Marion Marsh, writing in 1993, recalled, "Weatherstone was a salesman...
was unfaithful to Aunt Maggie. I don't know whether she ever divorced him
or not but they did separate. One night she had a 'visitation'. Jesus stood
at the foot of her bed and told her to go to Boston and become a nurse
and do his work.... She went from Winnipeg, Manitoba, to the Deaconess
Hospital, Boston, where she did graduate as a nurse. She worked among the
poor of boston until an incident threatened her life. She then moved to
Aiken Hall, Olive Hill, Kentucky, to nurse in an orphanage. She healed
the orphans, preached a few sermons, delivered many of the babies (estimated
to be over 1,000) around and was our "Mother Theresa" -- we adored her.
Many of her orphans became missionaries and she gave them the shirt off
her back....

"We loved to have her go to church with us -- in true Southern style
she would holler out 'Hallelujah, praise the Lord' at appropriate spots
in the service -- much to our delight and my mother's embarrassment ..
in her old age, she moved to a retired missionaries' home in Pasadena,
California; was so bored she got a job as a nurse in this home. When she
was 84 she married Geordie Black, who had returned to Paris, ON, fromt
he West (farmed Newdale, MB); resided in his home after his death until
she, herself, died in her late eighties."

NOTE: "Magnus" for his Grandfather Flett; "Kingsburgh" probably
for Mr. & Mrs. James Kingsburgh, neighbour to the Fletts, Lot 37, Con.
5 & Lot 36, Con. 4, South Dumfries Twp., Brant Co, ON. Jim and Magdalene
Campbell may have resided in one of the Kingsburgh houses as Jim was their
hired man. Perhaps, Mrs. Kingsburgh assisted with John Campbell's birth.

John, who arrived in Manitoba as a baby, attended the Salt Lake School,
near Strathclair. He was fourteen when his mother died. Katie arrived in
the Green Bluff area, south-west of Strathclair, on Valentine's Day, 1899,
with her family. They brought cattle, tools, wagons, sleighs, harness and
household effects all on box cars.

John was 35 years old when he married Katie. They honeymooned by train
to Winnipeg, Chicago, Detroit & Belle Isle. About the same time, father,
Jim Campbell and his second wife, Molly, took up residence in Strathclair,
leaving John and Katie to farm the original homestead, directly across
from the Flett farm.

John R. Folsetter notes in his diary, 23 July, 1915, that John Campbell
"commenced haying today". In an entry dated Wednesday, 11 August 1915,
"John Campbell took Ethel (Folsetter) for a drive and to give her a lesson
in driving a Studebaker." On the fifteenth of July he wrote, "The roads
here are splendid for cars when they are dry but after a rain they are
so greasy the car slips all over the road and if you put on chains they
fill up with the black dirt and throws all over."

In 1920, the stone house was replaced with a new brick one designed
by Katie. The only other brick house in the town was the one occupied by
Jim Campbell. Shortly thereafter, the old stone house occupied by the hired
man, burned. The stones from the structure were used to build the stone
fence which is still standing on the property, now owned by grandson, Bill
Hillman.

The Campbells bought land "right and left"; saw a great future in the
land and by 1920, John farmed 1300 acres (three hired men and one girl).
He, along with Gavin Flett, shared a threshing machine and did custom work.
The Jack Campbell family produced and delivered diary products (to Strathclair
-- 1 1/2 miles north -- in Bennett buggy) through most of the '20s and
'30s. The three kids -- Don, Louise and Billie -- along with the
neighbouring Christie family formed and played in the popular Campbell-Christie
orchestra through the '30s.

John Campbell was very active in community work, serving on the church
board and helping with the building of the old stone church. He also served
on the school board for a number of years. He was interested in sports,
baseball and curling until his health began to fail. He was a long-time
active Forester. In 1952, Jack and Katie moved to a house they built east
of the United Church in Strathclair. After John's death, Katherine moved
back to the farm to make her home with her daughter, Louise. Her house
was sold and moved, and the lot was donated to the United Church.

Son, William Gavin Campbell, who had successfully passed RCMP entrance
exams, joined the RCAF in August 1941. He served overseas as a Lancaster
bomber pilot until he was killed in 1945. He is buried at Blacon Cemetery,
Chester, England. The Flight Lieutenant Cambell Tribute is located at:
http://home.westman.wave.ca/~hillmans/campbell.html

Sue-On, aged two, was smuggled out of Red China to Hong Kong with a
neighbour family. At the age of ten, she and her mother were allowed to
join her father in Canada. She is a graduate of Brandon University (BA
& B.Ed) and is a former high school teacher. IN 1992, when the Hillmans
took over SOO'S, the Choy family restaurant in downtown Brandon, MB, Sue-On
took on the role of manager.

Bill, raised on the Campbell family farm, has retired from teaching.
He taught high school geography, English and computers at Strathclair for
30 years -- commuting from Brandon for the last five years. He and Sue-On
are long-time International performers who have been active as singers,
songwriters, recording artists, etc. One of their CD releases features
the song, "John Campbell -- Pioneer."